July 6, 2024 • 17 mins
Kiwi triathlete Hamish Carter managed a historic Olympic comeback in 2004 -walking away with New Zealand's only gold medal for the sport in Athens.
Carter went on to place sixth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and placing second in the 2006 World Championships.
He joined Piney to discuss his athletic legacy ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
New Zealand and The Home Straight Lan Kiewi's one gold.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Weekend Sports Road to Paris twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Four and Paris is coming into sight only a couple
of weeks before the Olympic Games get under way in Paris,
and in the last few weeks we've been I guess
walking the road to Paris, but really looking back at
some of the best ever Olympic results by New Zealanders.
Our best ever Olympic triathlon result came in two thousand
(00:48):
and four in Athens.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
He's kicking clear of Bevan Dougherty in Away he goes
Hamish Carter back, he comes onto the blue carpet. They
won't catch Hamish Carter now, and I don't think they'll
catch Bevan Dougherty down. He comes Hamish Carter about to
win the gold medal and the men's Triathlan across the
finish line try for New Zealands and finished gold medal
(01:13):
for hamous Katers. It hasn't finished yet. Silver medal for
New Zealand one and two in the men's tryah.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
In one of our most iconic sporting moments. Two Kiwis
battled out for gold and silver in the men's triathlon,
Hamish Carter crossing in one hour fifty one minute, seven
point seven to three seconds, Bevan Dockerty just eight seconds behind.
It was New Zealand's first and so far only gold
medal in Olympic triathlon. Hamish Carter went on to place
(01:42):
sixth at the two thousand and six Melbourne Commonwealth Games,
having won Commonwealth Games bronze in Manchester. In two thousand
and two, he was second at the six World Championships
behind Britain Tim Donn, who was suspended shortly after that
for missing three out of competition drug tests. In October
of two thousand and six, Hamis Carter won the ex
(02:04):
Terror World Championship in malwiy Hawaii, beating a field of
more experienced off road triathletes. In March of two thousand
and seven, he announced his retirement. He won the Sportsman
of the Year award in two thousand and four and
was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of
Merit in the two thousand and five New Year's Honors.
(02:24):
Hamers Carter is with us on Weekend Sport hard to
believe it's been twenty years Hamish.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
Hey, yeah, funny, Ay, it feels like in a lifetime
ago that is popping up and it's a great memory.
But yeah, I definitely they've danced in those times. But
it was a pretty awesome period of my life.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Well, I want to go straight to that race for
Golden Athens. You were thirty third after the swim. You
moved up into a leading group of six after the bike.
Can you pick it up for us At the start
of the run.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Yeah, it was a pretty hot day and I was
definitely feeling good, paired really well, and when we come
off the bike, we we we set off pretty fast
and quickly. There was about three of us that formed
at the front and it was funny because you know,
(03:21):
at that point it felt like we started to get
control of the race, but there was also that nagging
sense that you know, had had been there, had the
rest of the world behind me, but I had another
new yonder beside me. So it was and look Bev
(03:44):
and I, you know, Van came a long later in
my career and he was a really important catalyst to
plush me, you know further, because I didn't want him
to be me, and so the rivalry was a a
really really powerful component I think of both of our
success and and then Vivan had won the World Chance
(04:05):
that year in two thousand for so I was I
was pretty desperate to make sure it didn't be me,
and in the process we'd done the damage on the
rest of the field. So and yeah, the run was.
We stayed together for quite a long run until about
eight hundred meters to go, and then we started to throw.
A few attacks went down and I managed to roll
(04:29):
over the top of them and get a gap, and
off I went.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
What gave you that edge?
Speaker 3 (04:34):
What gave you that ability to to with eight hundred
meters left and what was already a grueling race in
the heat?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Where did you find the ability to kick from there?
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I think the main the main part of that was
my preparation had been really good, and so you know,
I practice not that scenario, but yeah, I'd really looked
after myself and considered my energy throughout the RAI and
(05:06):
I'd been well acclimatized to the heat. But I think
being more mature, I'd separated my performance from the emotion
that can take over. So it's quite a clinical delivery,
and I kind of think it's you know, it took
me a long time, but I understood the advent I
was in and what it took to win, and I'd practiced,
(05:28):
you know, delivering that sort of performance, and so it
was it was quite a natural. It is a natural thing.
It wasn't that incredible. It was just what I trained
to do. So yeah, I think that that was key
to my success.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I've watched the closing stages of the race and the
lead up to chatting to you, and you look so
much in control once you get the break on bevn Dockety?
Is that the way it felt once you'd open up
that that five or six second gap on him, Did
you know you had it won?
Speaker 5 (05:59):
Yeah? No, because it's funnily enough, it wasn't actually about
winning the race. I was. My goal in that race
was to produce a really good performance, like because in Sydney,
I didn't feel like I had delivered what I was
capable of. So I wanted to meet my own expectations,
(06:21):
which was pretty high, and so I kind of reveled
in that challenge as to how fast can I run?
And it's yeah, considering how tired I feel and how
hot it is, and so it was a real technical
delivery of my performance and trying to get control of
the race. Yeah, Bevan's a phenomenal competitor too. He might
(06:44):
be down and you might get a gap, but he'll
come back and get you. So I had to be
sure that he wasn't going to come back.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
You mentioned Sydney. There home I.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
She'd been to the Sydney Olympics in two thousand. You
were ranked number one in the world. It didn't go
to plan. You finished twenty sixth in Sydney. What happened
in Sydney.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
A lot. I think I wasn't I didn't really understand
the event I was racing him, even though I was
world number one, and you think you'd understand it, right,
But as an athlete, I needed that event or disappointment
to happen. It made me rethink everything I was doing,
(07:27):
even the sort of person I was, So I did
have to reassess everything, and it was kind of a
shock that I needed because I was good, but I
wasn't ready for that big race in the environment of
the Olympic, which is pretty unique and everything that comes
with it. So it was a blessing in disguise like
(07:51):
I would never have achieved in Athens if Sidney hadn't
happened like it did. And it was painful, right, but necessary,
And I guess you know, I learned a lot about
performance through that experience because oh no, I just came
realized that win. Thing wasn't about the winning. It's actually
what you do when you when you completely stuff things
(08:13):
up and how you respond. I think that's far more
powerful than winning a race. Yeah. So yeah, it was
just I somehow turned it to my advantage and so
that was a really important part I had to be
able to do.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, I mean, and that shows an enormous amount of
an ability to self reflect because you know, as you say,
you went into into two thousand, I'm sure with very
high hopes which weren't weren't realized. You know, they say
you've got to lose one to win one, and you
certainly did that. But was there a point after Sydney
where you thought, you know what, I'm I'm not going
(08:49):
to carry on or were you always going to carry on?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
And I definitely a year I didn't want to go
back because it was such an awful feeling. But you know,
you've got to have really good people around you. I
had a fantastic coach that brought me through to me
with that taught me so much. And then I started
working with Chris Plin. And a big thing that Chris
did was when I got back from Sydney, I had
(09:16):
every excuse under the book wide and won, but he
was he was strong enough to sort of just turn
to me and say, the only reason you didn't win
is you were good enough. And then it sounds like
a simple statement, but it forces you to face what
you don't want to and you've got to grow from that.
(09:37):
And so you know the role that Chris played, and
and my coach Mike Boone, you know these sort of
people and Merse, my wife, they all played a massive
role in help me, helping to learn from it. But also,
you know, to face something that was really painful and anyhow,
(09:58):
it's a republic, right, So it's not a great feeling,
but it's necessary sometimes and you've.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Got to go through it absolutely well. Obviously did the
trick when it came to Athens taking it back home.
If you were a Rower at school, how and why
did you transition into triathlon?
Speaker 5 (10:16):
I don't know. I think it wasn't by design, but
I look, I guess I wanted to represent New zeal
on that highest level and I thought I could do
it in rowing. And then I realized when I left
school that role was the massive and I wasn't. And
I was like, I was like, you've got to be kidding.
(10:37):
I've got to find a sport where I could be good.
And you know, at the time, we had some you know,
world class athletes, Reck Wells and Aaron Baker, and there
was a sport that was new, but we were a
dissed the world. And I mean that's crazy, right, like
a small punch in like New Zealand. We have these
athletes who were just the best, and so it's quite aspirational.
(11:00):
It's a sport that if you're like, okay, if that's
a fake, can do it. I want to do that too.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And you got very good, very quickly.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
It was it just something that you took to or
did you like of the three things, were you already
a good runner, a good swimmer and a good cyclist
or did you have to work hard at one or
more of them?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
I think I was just like you to get some
really great coaching early on, I'd learned so much from
rowing about what it took to be to work hard
and to overcome setbacks and to suffer and and you know,
trying to recover and stuff like that. So, yeah, all
the bowling box are there. I mean, anyone who rode
(11:44):
at Mardy Cup it's probably done a couple of Olympacs
in the fort five years I've been at school. It's
it's a ridiculous sport. It's too intense to be fair.
But it's a fast track too. Yeah that, and so
I just learned a lot from sending my time there.
I was always a I had access to the said,
(12:06):
the good coaches and and all. That makes a mess
of difference.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
What was your favorite and least favorite of the three?
Speaker 5 (12:16):
The problem is try some is the three disciplines tag
pull in different directions, and well, actually, nowadays the effects
are so good that I have a weakness, which is
pretty cool to watch. But when when I was racing,
if we swim really fast, you generally ran like curably.
If you if you're running really well, you couldn't swim
that well. And then if you're good on the bike,
(12:38):
you no good sitelists can't run off of them. So
it was a tug of war. You got to find
a balance and figure out what's the right next and
how do I prepare myself to that sort of the
performance that's going to win the race. And so again
my coaches worked hard to try and figure that puzzle out.
And so we swam badly in Athens, but we it
(13:01):
was a calculat rift because I sort of felt it
would be a tough ride, but then run was going
to be a war of attrition and that was that
suited me. So we got it right. It was great.
It was a rescue, but it worked out.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Did What's it like standing up on top of that
podium and hearing the national anthem play?
Speaker 5 (13:21):
It's special, like you just can't describe it. It's a
moment in time and it looks forever. So I mean
mostly I think when you're from New Zealand, you do
feel the whole country is behind you, which is good
and bad. And you know that everyone takes so much
(13:42):
from when we are successful. You know, the whole country
gets behind it late, even when we're six and all
the things like music and business and the arts and sport.
We have so much success across every genre, and how
cool is it when a newsyander does that sort of
wins and goes out there and beats the outs. And
(14:03):
I mean we're always trying to do that and it's
kind of in our DNA, and so I think be
part of that, and people take so much joy from it.
It's a it's a beautiful thing. I mean it's brutal
and it's hard and there's a lot of disappointment, but
it's worth the risk.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
How do you say, is heiden Wald's chances of emulating
you in Paris?
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Ah? I think Hayden, it's what I did with irrelevant
Hayden right. Firstly, Semenly, Hayden's an incredible athlete, you know,
a lot better than I was, and he has worked
incredibly hard. He's got a great team around him, has
every chance to But yeah, I just I don't want
(14:46):
to put any pressure on him. I just think he
he's amazing and I just want to watch him go
over and deliver his this performance and anything's possible because
he's he's done it all. Like what he can do
in a race is incredible. So now I wish him
and the whole team with all the success because I
know how hard it will.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Work just to finish same question I've asked all of
our guests on this feature, where is your gold medal?
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Like I said, most gold medals, it's in the soft
draw in a little oak leaves sunglass bag and it
comes out and have a look at it. Yeah, yeah,
I think you should actually serve the whole country. Sorry,
everyone has got one and say where is that? Yeah?
They always tend enough for the same place. Is that wide?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
But they just do well, that's it's so odd you
say that.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think you're about the eighth or ninth guest I've
had on this feetchure and everybody you said exactly the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Some of them are they have to think a little
bit about it.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
But you're right, it's in a socdraw or somewhere, or
it's out the back, or it's you know, it's somewhere.
That's it's not certainly the first thing you see when
you walk in that person's front door. It's not displayed prominently,
which I think is very key. We and and I
think it's really cool that that that it's very understated
as it is in your case.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, yeah, it's so key. We a that kind of
holds it back a little bit. We should celebrate our
us more, but that's who we are, so.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Selvi indeed, indeed, well, it's been great to celebrate a
bit and reminisce a bit with you.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Hamish.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Congratulations, I'm bringing us so much joy twenty years ago
in Athens and for taking a wander down memory laid
on our road to Paris today.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Really appreciate your time.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
Yeah, no way, thanks again, jeez.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
No, thank you, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Hamish card there the latest guest on our road to Paris,
which is quickly coming to an end. I think we'll
have two more guests, I would say, on the road
to Paris. The Olympics themselves underway on about what the
twenty fifth twenty sixth of July, So two more sundays
when we'll chat with two more of our great Olympians
and celebrate their success. And then we'll look forward to
(16:46):
Paris twenty twenty four and I guess the magical moments
that will be created we hope by our athletes at
the Paris Olympic Games in terms of coverage of those games. Incidentally,
we're a radio partner here at news Talks, he'd be
of the Olympics and in particular, our sister station Gold
Sport will have through the night commentary of the Paris
(17:09):
Olympic Games right through the fourteen to fifteen to sixteen
days of competition. Not exactly sure how many days there are,
but however many there are, we will be providing you
with through the night wall to walk commentary of not
only the New Zealand athletes taking part in Paris, but
the other notable events as well. So if you're an
insomniac or you just love your sport, then you've got
(17:32):
a treat coming up when the Paris Olympic Games roll around.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
New Zealand and The Home Straight Lan Kiewi's one gold.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Weekend Sports Road to Paris twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Four and Paris is coming into sight only a couple
of weeks before the Olympic Games get under way in Paris,
and in the last few weeks we've been I guess
walking the road to Paris, but really looking back at
some of the best ever Olympic results by New Zealanders.
Our best ever Olympic triathlon result came in two thousand
(00:48):
and four in Athens.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
He's kicking clear of Bevan Dougherty in Away he goes
Hamish Carter back, he comes onto the blue carpet. They
won't catch Hamish Carter now, and I don't think they'll
catch Bevan Dougherty down. He comes Hamish Carter about to
win the gold medal and the men's Triathlan across the
finish line try for New Zealands and finished gold medal
(01:13):
for hamous Katers. It hasn't finished yet. Silver medal for
New Zealand one and two in the men's tryah.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
In one of our most iconic sporting moments. Two Kiwis
battled out for gold and silver in the men's triathlon,
Hamish Carter crossing in one hour fifty one minute, seven
point seven to three seconds, Bevan Dockerty just eight seconds behind.
It was New Zealand's first and so far only gold
medal in Olympic triathlon. Hamish Carter went on to place
(01:42):
sixth at the two thousand and six Melbourne Commonwealth Games,
having won Commonwealth Games bronze in Manchester. In two thousand
and two, he was second at the six World Championships
behind Britain Tim Donn, who was suspended shortly after that
for missing three out of competition drug tests. In October
of two thousand and six, Hamis Carter won the ex
(02:04):
Terror World Championship in malwiy Hawaii, beating a field of
more experienced off road triathletes. In March of two thousand
and seven, he announced his retirement. He won the Sportsman
of the Year award in two thousand and four and
was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of
Merit in the two thousand and five New Year's Honors.
(02:24):
Hamers Carter is with us on Weekend Sport hard to
believe it's been twenty years Hamish.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
Hey, yeah, funny, Ay, it feels like in a lifetime
ago that is popping up and it's a great memory.
But yeah, I definitely they've danced in those times. But
it was a pretty awesome period of my life.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Well, I want to go straight to that race for
Golden Athens. You were thirty third after the swim. You
moved up into a leading group of six after the bike.
Can you pick it up for us At the start
of the run.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Yeah, it was a pretty hot day and I was
definitely feeling good, paired really well, and when we come
off the bike, we we we set off pretty fast
and quickly. There was about three of us that formed
at the front and it was funny because you know,
(03:21):
at that point it felt like we started to get
control of the race, but there was also that nagging
sense that you know, had had been there, had the
rest of the world behind me, but I had another
new yonder beside me. So it was and look Bev
(03:44):
and I, you know, Van came a long later in
my career and he was a really important catalyst to
plush me, you know further, because I didn't want him
to be me, and so the rivalry was a a
really really powerful component I think of both of our
success and and then Vivan had won the World Chance
(04:05):
that year in two thousand for so I was I
was pretty desperate to make sure it didn't be me,
and in the process we'd done the damage on the
rest of the field. So and yeah, the run was.
We stayed together for quite a long run until about
eight hundred meters to go, and then we started to throw.
A few attacks went down and I managed to roll
(04:29):
over the top of them and get a gap, and
off I went.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
What gave you that edge?
Speaker 3 (04:34):
What gave you that ability to to with eight hundred
meters left and what was already a grueling race in
the heat?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Where did you find the ability to kick from there?
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I think the main the main part of that was
my preparation had been really good, and so you know,
I practice not that scenario, but yeah, I'd really looked
after myself and considered my energy throughout the RAI and
(05:06):
I'd been well acclimatized to the heat. But I think
being more mature, I'd separated my performance from the emotion
that can take over. So it's quite a clinical delivery,
and I kind of think it's you know, it took
me a long time, but I understood the advent I
was in and what it took to win, and I'd practiced,
(05:28):
you know, delivering that sort of performance, and so it
was it was quite a natural. It is a natural thing.
It wasn't that incredible. It was just what I trained
to do. So yeah, I think that that was key
to my success.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I've watched the closing stages of the race and the
lead up to chatting to you, and you look so
much in control once you get the break on bevn Dockety?
Is that the way it felt once you'd open up
that that five or six second gap on him, Did
you know you had it won?
Speaker 5 (05:59):
Yeah? No, because it's funnily enough, it wasn't actually about
winning the race. I was. My goal in that race
was to produce a really good performance, like because in Sydney,
I didn't feel like I had delivered what I was
capable of. So I wanted to meet my own expectations,
(06:21):
which was pretty high, and so I kind of reveled
in that challenge as to how fast can I run?
And it's yeah, considering how tired I feel and how
hot it is, and so it was a real technical
delivery of my performance and trying to get control of
the race. Yeah, Bevan's a phenomenal competitor too. He might
(06:44):
be down and you might get a gap, but he'll
come back and get you. So I had to be
sure that he wasn't going to come back.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
You mentioned Sydney. There home I.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
She'd been to the Sydney Olympics in two thousand. You
were ranked number one in the world. It didn't go
to plan. You finished twenty sixth in Sydney. What happened
in Sydney.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
A lot. I think I wasn't I didn't really understand
the event I was racing him, even though I was
world number one, and you think you'd understand it, right,
But as an athlete, I needed that event or disappointment
to happen. It made me rethink everything I was doing,
(07:27):
even the sort of person I was, So I did
have to reassess everything, and it was kind of a
shock that I needed because I was good, but I
wasn't ready for that big race in the environment of
the Olympic, which is pretty unique and everything that comes
with it. So it was a blessing in disguise like
(07:51):
I would never have achieved in Athens if Sidney hadn't
happened like it did. And it was painful, right, but necessary,
And I guess you know, I learned a lot about
performance through that experience because oh no, I just came
realized that win. Thing wasn't about the winning. It's actually
what you do when you when you completely stuff things
(08:13):
up and how you respond. I think that's far more
powerful than winning a race. Yeah. So yeah, it was
just I somehow turned it to my advantage and so
that was a really important part I had to be
able to do.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, I mean, and that shows an enormous amount of
an ability to self reflect because you know, as you say,
you went into into two thousand, I'm sure with very
high hopes which weren't weren't realized. You know, they say
you've got to lose one to win one, and you
certainly did that. But was there a point after Sydney
where you thought, you know what, I'm I'm not going
(08:49):
to carry on or were you always going to carry on?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
And I definitely a year I didn't want to go
back because it was such an awful feeling. But you know,
you've got to have really good people around you. I
had a fantastic coach that brought me through to me
with that taught me so much. And then I started
working with Chris Plin. And a big thing that Chris
did was when I got back from Sydney, I had
(09:16):
every excuse under the book wide and won, but he
was he was strong enough to sort of just turn
to me and say, the only reason you didn't win
is you were good enough. And then it sounds like
a simple statement, but it forces you to face what
you don't want to and you've got to grow from that.
(09:37):
And so you know the role that Chris played, and
and my coach Mike Boone, you know these sort of
people and Merse, my wife, they all played a massive
role in help me, helping to learn from it. But also,
you know, to face something that was really painful and anyhow,
(09:58):
it's a republic, right, So it's not a great feeling,
but it's necessary sometimes and you've.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Got to go through it absolutely well. Obviously did the
trick when it came to Athens taking it back home.
If you were a Rower at school, how and why
did you transition into triathlon?
Speaker 5 (10:16):
I don't know. I think it wasn't by design, but
I look, I guess I wanted to represent New zeal
on that highest level and I thought I could do
it in rowing. And then I realized when I left
school that role was the massive and I wasn't. And
I was like, I was like, you've got to be kidding.
(10:37):
I've got to find a sport where I could be good.
And you know, at the time, we had some you know,
world class athletes, Reck Wells and Aaron Baker, and there
was a sport that was new, but we were a
dissed the world. And I mean that's crazy, right, like
a small punch in like New Zealand. We have these
athletes who were just the best, and so it's quite aspirational.
(11:00):
It's a sport that if you're like, okay, if that's
a fake, can do it. I want to do that too.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And you got very good, very quickly.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
It was it just something that you took to or
did you like of the three things, were you already
a good runner, a good swimmer and a good cyclist
or did you have to work hard at one or
more of them?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
I think I was just like you to get some
really great coaching early on, I'd learned so much from
rowing about what it took to be to work hard
and to overcome setbacks and to suffer and and you know,
trying to recover and stuff like that. So, yeah, all
the bowling box are there. I mean, anyone who rode
(11:44):
at Mardy Cup it's probably done a couple of Olympacs
in the fort five years I've been at school. It's
it's a ridiculous sport. It's too intense to be fair.
But it's a fast track too. Yeah that, and so
I just learned a lot from sending my time there.
I was always a I had access to the said,
(12:06):
the good coaches and and all. That makes a mess
of difference.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
What was your favorite and least favorite of the three?
Speaker 5 (12:16):
The problem is try some is the three disciplines tag
pull in different directions, and well, actually, nowadays the effects
are so good that I have a weakness, which is
pretty cool to watch. But when when I was racing,
if we swim really fast, you generally ran like curably.
If you if you're running really well, you couldn't swim
that well. And then if you're good on the bike,
(12:38):
you no good sitelists can't run off of them. So
it was a tug of war. You got to find
a balance and figure out what's the right next and
how do I prepare myself to that sort of the
performance that's going to win the race. And so again
my coaches worked hard to try and figure that puzzle out.
And so we swam badly in Athens, but we it
(13:01):
was a calculat rift because I sort of felt it
would be a tough ride, but then run was going
to be a war of attrition and that was that
suited me. So we got it right. It was great.
It was a rescue, but it worked out.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Did What's it like standing up on top of that
podium and hearing the national anthem play?
Speaker 5 (13:21):
It's special, like you just can't describe it. It's a
moment in time and it looks forever. So I mean
mostly I think when you're from New Zealand, you do
feel the whole country is behind you, which is good
and bad. And you know that everyone takes so much
(13:42):
from when we are successful. You know, the whole country
gets behind it late, even when we're six and all
the things like music and business and the arts and sport.
We have so much success across every genre, and how
cool is it when a newsyander does that sort of
wins and goes out there and beats the outs. And
(14:03):
I mean we're always trying to do that and it's
kind of in our DNA, and so I think be
part of that, and people take so much joy from it.
It's a it's a beautiful thing. I mean it's brutal
and it's hard and there's a lot of disappointment, but
it's worth the risk.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
How do you say, is heiden Wald's chances of emulating
you in Paris?
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Ah? I think Hayden, it's what I did with irrelevant
Hayden right. Firstly, Semenly, Hayden's an incredible athlete, you know,
a lot better than I was, and he has worked
incredibly hard. He's got a great team around him, has
every chance to But yeah, I just I don't want
(14:46):
to put any pressure on him. I just think he
he's amazing and I just want to watch him go
over and deliver his this performance and anything's possible because
he's he's done it all. Like what he can do
in a race is incredible. So now I wish him
and the whole team with all the success because I
know how hard it will.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Work just to finish same question I've asked all of
our guests on this feature, where is your gold medal?
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Like I said, most gold medals, it's in the soft
draw in a little oak leaves sunglass bag and it
comes out and have a look at it. Yeah, yeah,
I think you should actually serve the whole country. Sorry,
everyone has got one and say where is that? Yeah?
They always tend enough for the same place. Is that wide?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
But they just do well, that's it's so odd you
say that.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think you're about the eighth or ninth guest I've
had on this feetchure and everybody you said exactly the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Some of them are they have to think a little
bit about it.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
But you're right, it's in a socdraw or somewhere, or
it's out the back, or it's you know, it's somewhere.
That's it's not certainly the first thing you see when
you walk in that person's front door. It's not displayed prominently,
which I think is very key. We and and I
think it's really cool that that that it's very understated
as it is in your case.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, yeah, it's so key. We a that kind of
holds it back a little bit. We should celebrate our
us more, but that's who we are, so.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Selvi indeed, indeed, well, it's been great to celebrate a
bit and reminisce a bit with you.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Hamish.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Congratulations, I'm bringing us so much joy twenty years ago
in Athens and for taking a wander down memory laid
on our road to Paris today.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Really appreciate your time.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
Yeah, no way, thanks again, jeez.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
No, thank you, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Hamish card there the latest guest on our road to Paris,
which is quickly coming to an end. I think we'll
have two more guests, I would say, on the road
to Paris. The Olympics themselves underway on about what the
twenty fifth twenty sixth of July, So two more sundays
when we'll chat with two more of our great Olympians
and celebrate their success. And then we'll look forward to
(16:46):
Paris twenty twenty four and I guess the magical moments
that will be created we hope by our athletes at
the Paris Olympic Games in terms of coverage of those games. Incidentally,
we're a radio partner here at news Talks, he'd be
of the Olympics and in particular, our sister station Gold
Sport will have through the night commentary of the Paris
(17:09):
Olympic Games right through the fourteen to fifteen to sixteen
days of competition. Not exactly sure how many days there are,
but however many there are, we will be providing you
with through the night wall to walk commentary of not
only the New Zealand athletes taking part in Paris, but
the other notable events as well. So if you're an
insomniac or you just love your sport, then you've got
(17:32):
a treat coming up when the Paris Olympic Games roll around.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com